Jadot’s
long-time winemaker Jacques Lardière spent a good deal of 2012 on a year-long
retirement tour worthy of a rockstar. He earned it with four decades-plus of
memorable wines. It seemed like every few weeks there was a magnificent tasting
somewhere in the world celebrating one of the truly great careers and people in
wine. I was privy to one of these tastings, held at Jadot’s headquarters in
Beaune. This article focuses on the Beaune Theurons, while a companion piece
covers the Corton-Charlemagne.

With his gregarious personality,
wicked sense of humor and flowing grey locks, Jacques Lardière
doesn’t look like someone who is about to retire. It is virtually impossible to
believe Lardière has been at the helm since 1970! During the several hours
we spend tasting through the 2011 reds and the wines in these two verticals, Lardière’s
energy is just as intense as it has been on every previous visit. Readers can
see Lardière
in action in the short video we shot at the maison right after this tasting.

For these verticals Lardière,
Jadot President Pierre-Henry Gagey and Winemaker Frédéric Barnier, Lardière’s
highly capable successor, chose two wines that hold special significance because
they represent two of the maison’s historical core holdings, the others being Les
Ursules, Corton-Pougets and Les Demoiselles.

Louis Jadot inherited a parcel in
Theurons from his wife’s side of the family in 1900. The vineyard measures .89
ares, or just under one hectare. Major replantings were carried out twice,
beginning in 1985, using selection
massale, a method by which clones are selected from within a vineyard and
then propagated throughout the same site.

Beaune reds are often overlooked in
favor of their more famous cousins from the Cote de Nuits, largely because
those wines can be so sexy and showy when young. Beaune reds tend to need a
little more love and bottle age to soften the tannins, but there is little
doubt the best wines can develop extraordinary complexity with bottle age.

Jadot’s 1997 Beaune Theurons jumps from the glass with juicy dark cherries,
scorched earth, licorice, tar and incense. At 15 years of age, it remains
youthful primary and full-bodied, with just the faintest hints of tertiary complexity.
Slight elements of gaminess give the 1997 a rustic side that isn’t present in
some of the very best editions. Today, the 1997 is an in between stage where it
is neither young nor old. I suggest giving it a few more years in bottle. Lardière
adds that 1997 was a very hot year with naturally low yields, and that he
waited until quite late in the season to harvest. Drinking window: 2017-2027. A drop dead gorgeous wine, the 1993 Beaune Theurons is still
remarkably fresh and vibrant, something that is immediately noticeable in its
color. The tannins are big, yet silky, while the fruit is remarkably sophisticated.
Cool veins of minerality frame the polished finish. It is hard to see the 1993
maturing anytime soon, rather it is much more likely the wine will drink well
for another 20 years. This is a dazzling effort. Drinking window: 2013-2043. Jadot’s
1990 Beaune Theurons is huge on the
palate. Still rich, powerful and
voluminous, the 1990 bursts from the glass with massive dark fruit. Sweet red
cherries, cured meats, earthiness, licorice, spices and worn-in leather are all
layered together in this full-bodied, intense Burgundy. Readers who like fully
mature wines may want to cellar the 1990 further. Today it is stunning. Drinking
window: 2013-2030.

The 1989 Beaune Theurons is the first wine in this tasting where the
tannins are totally resolved, but at the same time, the aromas and flavors are
bright, focused and fresh, especially for a wine of this age. Although at a
beautiful plateau of maturity, the 1989 has enough to drink well for another
10-15 years, if not longer. In some ways, the 1989 is a bit of a paradox. It is
more finessed than the 1990, even though the weather was warmer and yields were
higher. There are none of the gamy notes found in the 1990, just layers of
impeccable, perfumed fruit. The potential and sheer appeal of Beaune reds comes
through in spades. Drinking window: 2013-2023. One of the biggest surprises in
this tasting, the 1988 Beaune Theurons
is stunning. Youthful and weightless yet structured, the 1998 is still vibrant.
The aromas and flavors are quite bright, and the tannins remain virtually
impenetrable, as if the wine is frozen in time. The 1988 will never be a huge,
dense Burgundy, but it has a very good chance of developing into an
extraordinarily finessed wine with a few more years. Drinking window: 2013-2023.
The 1985 Beaune Theurons represents
a hugely attractive synthesis of the 1989 and the 1990, with the aromatics of
the former and the fruit of the latter. Sweet, perfumed and layered, the 1985
has developed gracefully in bottle. Savory herbs, flowers, dried cherries,
plums, tobacco and anise are layered into the silky, polished finish. Drinking
window: 2013-2030.

The 1983 Beaune Theurons is a solid effort in a challenging vintage marked
by high amounts of rot. Even today the acidity is quite pronounced because
maturity levels were only average. The 1983 has aged as well as could be
expected, but it will never be particularly refined. At the same, time, at
nearly 30 years of age, it has held up nicely. Worn-in leather, tobacco, dried
flowers and sweet herbs are layered into the articulate finish. Drinking
window: 2013-2023. Jadot’s 1982 Beaune Theurons
is magnificent. A firm, yet expressive wine, the 1982 is peaking today, with
all the elements in the right place. Dried cherries, leather, sweet tobacco and
cedar are woven together in the glass. Structured, yet beautifully balanced,
the 1982 is a great choice for drinking over the next two decades. Lardière
describes 1982 as one of the most generous vintages of all time, but one characterized
by healthy grapes. As in 1999, Lardière did some saignée (bleeding) of the must. Drinking
window: 2013-2022. Another impressive wine, the 1979 Beaune Theurons is strikingly beautiful from start to finish. This
is the first wine in the tasting that is fully tertiary, but at the same time,
it retains gorgeous vitality, showing the way Beaunes can remain at a plateau
of maturity for years. The aromas aren’t quite as perfect as I had hoped, but
the wine is remarkably finessed on the palate. Hints of sweet tobacco, anise,
dried herb, mint and worn-in leather frame the finish. The pure silkiness of
the tannins is something to behold. Drinking window: 2013-2019.

The 1978 Beaune Theurons is surprisingly delicate and frail in this
tasting. Mint, wild flowers and savory herbs waft from the glass. The 1978 retains
its broad-shouldered frame, but the aromas and flavors are a touch forward. This
isn’t a huge 1978, but rather a finessed, delicate wine that has aged quite
gracefully. In 1978, the fruit was harvested at the end of October, very late
by Burgundian standards. Drinking window: 2013-2020. Another utterly majestic
wine, the 1976 Beaune Theurons has
aged also exceptionally well. Huge dark red cherries, tobacco, mint and wild
flowers all jump from the glass. The high percentage of new oak has shaped the
1976 nicely, giving it smooth contours and gorgeous balance. Simply put, the
1976 is a pure joy to taste. The dry growing season resulted in tiny yields. Drinking
window: 2013-2023. A wine of tenderness and voluptuousness, the 1973 Beaune Theurons is stunningly
beautiful. Silky tannins support a deep, supple core of fruit in this polished,
textured Burgundy. All the elements are simply in the right place. At forty
years of age, the 1973 is peaking, but it also appears to have plenty of life
ahead. Lardière adds that the 1973s were very difficult to sell because of
the oil crisis. Readers who might still own bottles of the 1973 Theurons are in
for a real treat, let’s leave it at that. Drinking window: 2013-2023.

White truffles, dried berries,
mushrooms, earthiness and game emerge from the 1972 Beaune Theurons. Interestingly, the 1972 is much more advanced
in its aromas than it is on the palate, where the fruit is surprisingly rich
and intense for the year. Overall, this is a solid effort in a very challenging
vintage. Readers still holding the 1972 will want to finish any remaining
bottles. Drinking window: 2013. The 1971
Beaune Theurons bursts from the glass with huge fruit in a style that
captures the silkiness of the 1973 and the firm structure of the 1976. Exotic
spices, autumn leaves, orange peel and roasted coffee beans are woven together
in a fabric of unusual grace. Layers of intensely perfumed fruit linger on the
ethereal finish. Simply put, the 1971 is singing today. This is a great, great
showing. Drinking window: 2013-2023. Vibrant, layered and structured, the 1970 Beaune Theurons is still quite firm
and youthful. Today the 1970 is in a glorious place where all the elements are
very nicely balanced. Although a bit virile in style, the 1970 is also
exceptionally polished. Best of all, it has stood the test of time, and then
some. Drinking window: 2013-2023.